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5 Ways Coffee Impacts Your Thyroid

Priya follows a hectic routine. Balancing her dual roles as a mother and a university teacher, she has late nights and early mornings. Of late, she began feeling dull through the day and started experiencing severe hair fall. Priya ignored this for a while, thinking it was a symptom of her hectic life. However, when she missed her period by a month, she realised it was time to see her doctor. Much to her surprise, Priya was diagnosed with hypothyroidism.

Thyroid problems have become an increasingly common occurrence today. From adolescents to the elderly, this disorder can affect almost any age group. Medical research indicates that more than anything, our lifestyle and dietary choices are to blame. Like Priya, many working women follow tough schedules and rely on a daily dose of caffeine to perk up and feel energised. A cup or two of coffee is helpful but any more can lead to thyroid problems eventually. Let’s check out the main ways coffee hampers thyroid function.

Causes a sudden spike in blood sugar

Studies conducted have shown that coffee increases blood sugar levels. This exhausts the adrenals and leads to thyroid problems. This is especially bad if you have hypoglycaemia as it can leave you feeling nervous and anxious through the day. Moreover, regular consumption of coffee is known to create dependency. You will crave a daily fix of sugar and carbohydrates at the start of each day.

Interferes in secretion and absorption of hormones

Coffee affects the function of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal gland trio. These in turn affect your thyroid health. Drinking several cups of coffee stimulates excess secretion of epinephrine and cortisol which are stress hormones. This leaves your body in constant state of anxiety. Moreover, for those who take hormone replacement medication, coffee can inhibit the conversion and absorption of hormones.

Tires out your adrenal glands

Coffee stimulates the adrenals to secrete cortisol. This is why you feel a sudden burst of energy after your morning cup. An excess of caffeine combined with a high carb diet can wear out your adrenal gland. This slows down the thyroid gland and is one of the primary causes of hypothyroidism.

Leads to oxidative damage

Coffee is high inflammatory. This means that it causes damage on a cellular level. Certain foods are more inflammatory and they make our cells burn and die out faster. Inflammation leads to diabetes, brittle skin and nails, muscle cramps, insomnia, and thyroid problems. Coffee is also acidic and if taken on an empty stomach, can begin to damage your intestinal and stomach lining.

Creates bouts of insomnia

Caffeine is a stimulant and inhibits sleep inducing hormones in the brain. Studies have shown that drinking over 4 to 5 cups of coffee daily can lead to sleeplessness and anxiety at night. Those who consume coffee with milk and sugar are affected more because milk and sugar cause more insulin to be released in the blood stream, thus upsetting the thyroid hormones.

The truth about decaffeinated coffee

Many working people have switched to decaf coffee beverages in an effort to skip the harmful effects of caffeine. However, decaffeinated coffee undergoes much chemical treatment to remove the caffeine. Thus, decaf is not as good for your body as it seems to be. A lot of advertising in the media promotes decaf as a healthy substitute. However, consume it in moderation and with caution. Chemically treated foods have very little nutrition and cause more health problems.

Thyroid treatment and homeopathy

Homeopathy takes a natural approach to thyroid treatment. Offering solutions for both, hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism, homeopathic medicine is free from chemicals and side effects. Homeopathy works gently through your thyroid problems by targeting the root cause and not merely the symptoms. This approach provides lasting results.

Many modern health complications arise from our body being continually exposed to chemicals. Our natural immune system shuts down gradually and this gives way to disease. This is where homeopathy steps in and offers a fresh approach. Homeopathic medicine for thyroid strengthens the thyroid to start producing its hormones without any external synthetic supplements. Thus, your body does not have to depend on lifelong dose of administered hormones which are expensive and have side-effects.Homeopathy doesn’t focus on immediate solutions, but rather on permanent, lasting cure.